There has been a surge in the violation of the rights of foreigners in France in recent years, according to an official report.

The office of the French Ombudsman Claire Hedon published a report on foreigners' fundamental rights in 2019-2022, saying access to residence permit applications and renewal services at prefectures were the most violated rights.

The number of complaints filed to the office in 2022 about the issue increased by 9% compared to the previous year, and surpassed 125,000, the report said on Monday.

Also, the number of violations of foreigners' access rights increased from 6,540 to 21,666 – a 231% rise – between 2019 and 2022, the report added.

This rate went up by 450% in the Ile-de-France region, including the capital Paris.

Most foreigners who came to France legally cannot access appointment services, and those violations disrupt the administrative system, which causes many people to fall into the irregular migrant category, Hedon said.